James Joyce by Jorge Luis Borges In one day of mankind are all the days of time, from that unimaginable first day of time, when a formidable God prearranged the days and agonies, to that other day when the perpetual river of earthly time flows round to its headwaters, the Eternal, and is extinguished in the present, the future, the past, the passing—what is now mine. The story of the world is told from dawn to darkness. From the depths of night I’ve seen at my feet the wanderings of the Jews, Carthage destroyed, Hell, and Heaven’s bliss. Grant me, Lord, the courage and the joy I need to scale the summit of this day. —Cambridge, 1968. Translated by Stephen Kessler. From Elogio de la Sombra, 1969 (In Praise of Darkness). SOURCE: Borges, Jorge Luis. Selected Poems, edited by Alexander Coleman (New York: Viking, 1999), English, p. 273; Spanish, 272. James Joyce In a man’s single day are all the days of time from that unimaginable first day, when a terrible God marked out the days and agonies, to that other, when the ubiquitous flow of earthly time goes back to its source, Eternity, and flickers out in the present, the past, and the future—what now belongs to me. Between dawn and dark lies the history of the world. From the vault of night I see at my feet the wanderings of the Jew, Carthage put to the sword, Heaven and Hell. Grant me, O Lord, the courage and the joy to ascend to the summit of this day. SOURCE: Borges, Jorge Luis. In Praise of Darkness (A Bilingual Edition), translated by Norman Thomas di Giovanni (New York: E.P. Dutton & Co., Inc., 1974), English, p. 29; Spanish, p. 28. James Joyce En un día del hombre están los días del tiempo, desde aquel inconcebible día inicial del tiempo, en que un terrible Dios prefijó los días y agonías hasta aquel otro en que el ubicuo río del tiempo terrenal torne a su fuente, que es lo Eterno, y se apague en el presente, el futuro, el ayer, lo que ahora es mío. Entre el alba y la noche está la historia universal. Desde la noche veo a mis pies los caminos del hebreo, Cartago aniquilada, Infierno y Gloria. Dame, Señor, coraje y alegría para escalar la cumbre de este día. —Cambridge, 1968.

"Invocation to Joyce"
by Jorge Luis Borges

The Cyclical Night: Irony in James Joyce and Jorge Luis Borges
by L. A. Murrilo

James Joyce: Special Topics: Bibliography, Links, Quotes

Jorge Luis Borges: Selected Study Materials on the Web

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“Invocation to Joyce” by Jorge Luis Borges,
translated by Norman Thomas di Giovanni,
with Hungarian translation by Ertl István